Do Not Wear Short Sleeved Button Downs in Summer But only if your office celebrates casual Friday on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well. If you work in a very casual office environment, feel free to wear one. It works splendidly with a blazer, a sports jacket or under a sweater, but it must never be worn with anything more formal than that.

The button down is a very informal dress shirt. Do Not Wear Button Downs to Formal Workplaces Wearing a button down with formal attire is about as silly as wearing white socks or sandals with it. Tuxedos, morning coats, strollers, tailcoats… Call it what you will, the button down was not made for them. Today, button downs are reserved for the casual, yet dapper gentleman. Just because Fred Astaire wore a button down under his most formal suits doesn’t mean you should. Surprisingly, unlike many clothes, the popularity continued to grow, and the button down remains as popular today as it was back in the 1920s through 60s.Ĭlassic Brooks Brother Oxford Button Down Shirt Oxford Cloth Button Down Collar Shirts DOs and DON’Ts Worn under Como’s cardigans and Astaire’s double breasted suits, it was evident from Hollywood cinema that men could really do whatever they wanted with the shirt.

Relaxation ( Perry Como) all sported the button down on a regular basis. It was a true everyman’s shirt and one that came in basic colors but also some pretty great patterns and prints.Ĭasual style icons like Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire and Mr. One of the biggest benefits to the button down at the time - and even still today - was that because of its versatility, it allowed men to spend less money on shirts since it could be worn with so many ensembles. It didn’t seem to matter who wore it or where, but it became a way for men to showcase their own style in a variety of ways and with a broad range of outfits. The shirt could be found under a bespoke business suit on a high ranking executive or an auto repair salesman buying a pack of Lucky Strikes at the local Piggly Wiggly. Young and old, it was a style adopted by everyone from varied demographics. Now a focus of weekend get-togethers amongst friends, it was a classic wardrobe choice for men attending holiday parties, barbecues, and even good old-fashioned American sporting events. Fred Astaire wearing an OCBD shirt casually The OCBD Becomes Casual

Red button down oxford